Why even the casual baseball fan should love the Astros!

Alright, you bought a shirt so now read this to know why you should really love the Astros.

I’m speaking to the casual fans and Houstonians that are still on the fence on becoming an avid Astros fan. Whether you are a diehard, longtime, fair-weather or bandwagon fan, the Astros are a team to get behind. If a World Series t-shirt wasn’t enough for a casual fan to jump aboard the Crush City train, I’ll give you a few more reason to become and stay a longtime fan of the Astros.

Where is the form?

First of all, there are no forms to fill out and no initiation process is involved. Secondly, all are welcome but I warn you becoming a fan of this team is a rollercoaster ride. I became an Astros fan in 1994, the year I moved to Houston from Los Angeles. I’ve lived through the years of the Killer B’s and the taste of 2005. We stuck with them though the three-straight 100-loss seasons, missing the playoffs and getting the boot from the National League to American League. While we now call them World Series champs, some have waited 55 years for this moment. Over the past two months I’ve witnessed Houstonians morph into casual Astros fans which now identify with the rest of us and that’s wonderful.

Unfortunately, I think Hurricane Harvey played a big part in this. The City of Houston needed something so desperately to rally around and it was the Astros. Therefore, they came home with a trophy and an epic post-season run that tied together strangers, family and co-workers. Americas Pastime which was losing viewership especially with its younger generation is finally rejuvenated. Sometimes, winning it all is all it takes and they did win it all.

The good guys.

How can you not fall in love with Jose Altuve? He is deservedly an MVP, a class act and a humble guy. How can you not support George Springer, who overcame a speech impediment and found the courage to help others with the same impediment? Don’t forget about Carlos Correa who proposed to his girlfriend in front of millions watching. Carlos is a great asset to the team and city assisting with Hurricane relief efforts in Houston and in his home town of Puerto Rico.

What about Alex Bregman who’s a great defensive player and is not afraid to throw someone out at home plate? I could write about them all including Evan Gattis who once was a janitor only 10 years ago and is now a champion or Carlos Beltran who found his way back here to top of a career with a championship and walk away gracefully. Needless to say, the Astros are an unlikely group of guys all came together for the common goal. This team is a highlight reel filled with excitement, smiles, laughter and emotions.

Coming together.

These guys are young and fun to watch but more importantly, they love this city. The parade downtown was crazy. Streets once filled with ten feet of water were packed with a million people. Some longtime fans and some new fans. This team is here to stay, this is no fluke. Going back to back will be a challenge. Regressions do happen but I believe bad baseball is behind us and the lovable losers are gone. This core group of guys are great for the city.

It all starts up top.

The front office includes a great owner like Jim Crane who believed in this team. He supported them by offering Nolan Ryan and Jeff Luhnow the resources to build this team. Don’t forget that Craig Biggio has a role as special assistant to Luhnow. Craig Biggio is a reason alone to love the Astros, he gave them twenty exciting seasons.

Next: The 2018 season may determine Dallas Keuchel’s future with the Astros

All aboard!

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a reason to love the Astros then look no further than this. Lets get behind a team that is doing it right. The Astros are a team that gave this city hope after that devastation of a hurricane. What we witnessed is the ultimate vindication of a complete rebuild from top to bottom. This is a team with personality alone has the strength to revitalize this sports town. This is a team that earned it.